Separating apparatus



June 21, 1960 L. L. MAUS SEPARATING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed July 12, 1955 INVENTOR.

June 21, 1960 L. L. MAUS SEPARATING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed July 12, 1955 June 21, 1960 L. L. MAUS 2, 41,668

SEPARATING APPARATUS 4 Original Filed July 12, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

June 21, L. L. MAUS 2, 1,658

SEPARATING APPARATUS Original Filed July 12, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 .of sheet, metal, in any suitable or usual manner. Q dank includes; side walls 14 and endwalls 15, the end walls United States Patent 2,941,668. SEPARATING APPARATUS Lawrence v L. Mans, 14 Stratford Road, Buffalo, N .Y.

Original-application July 12 1955 Ser. No. 521 459 now Patent No. 2,877,901, a ieii Mar. 17, 1959. Divided and thisapplication Sept. 15, 1958, Ser. No. 761,076

This invention relates to improvements in separating apparatusofthe type employed for removing solid matter from; liquids. This application is a division of my copendmgapphcation #521,459 filed July 12, 1955, now Patent No. 2,877,901.

The separating apparatus forming the subject matter of this invention is primarily intended for removing chips and other solid matter from the coolant used in metal workmg machines for cooling the cutting tool and the Work which is being cut. It will be understood, however, that itis not intended to limit this invention to apparatus of this type, since it will be obvious that the apparatus shown may be employed for other purposes.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a separator of this type. which includes a settling chamber in which largeror heavier particles may be removed from the liquid and a screen by means of which finer particles are removed from the liquid, and in which means are included for continuously removing the precipitated particles from the settling chamber and for clearing the screen. Another Object is to provide improved means for scraping the heavier particles from the settling chamber and depositing them on a vibrating conveyor from which they are discharged from the filter.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of one embodiment of the invention and the novel features will be particularly pointed :out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawingsj Fig. 1 is atop plan view of a separating apparatus embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation thereof, :on an enlarged scale, on line 3-3-, Fig. 1. l i F Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view thereof, on line 4-4,

ig. 3. i

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation thereof, partly in :section, on line 5-.-5, Fig. 4.

P Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation thereof, on line 6- .6, ig. 4. i V

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional elevation, on an en Tlarged scale, showing the mechanism for securing screening material on a screening drum. 7

Figs. 8 and 9 are fragmentary sectional elevations thereof, on lines 8-8 and 9'-9 respectively, Fig. 3.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional elevat'ion thereof showing the trough by means of which material is removed from the apparatus.

Figs. 11 and 12 are fragmentary sectional elevations ithereof, on lines 11--11 and 12-12 respectivel Fig. 3.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view of *one of themovable troughs for removing material from .the bottom of the settling chamber.

My improved separating apparatus includes a settling tank or container which is preferably rectangular in .cross section and which may be constructed, preferably This being integralwith the bottom 16 of the tank in the construction shown, and. being connected to the bottom by means of rounded or curved portions 17. This tank contains most of the filtering apparatus and is provided with a transversely extending top portion or bridge 18 on which a motor 19 is mounted, which drives a shaft 20 through suitable gearing (not shown). At opposite ends of this bridge, removable cover members 21 and 2.2 are provided to afford access to the interior of the tank. These covers 21 and 22. may be in the form of suitable frames having screening material attached. thereto. The liquid to be filtered may be conducted into the tank in any suitable or desired manner, preferably by means of a conduit which may be arranged in any suitable or desired position to discharge liquid to be filtered into the tank, the termination of the inlet at the tank being located in accordance with the particular installation of the filtering apparatus and may enter any wall of the tank or the liquid may be discharged into the tank through the screening forming parts of the covers or lids 21 and 2 2.

The tank forms a. settling chamber for the liquid to be filtered. The heavier and larger particles of materials entering the tank will, consequently, become deposited on the bottom 16 of, the tank, from which they are removed by suitable scrapers or buckets. The scrapers may be constructed in any suitable or desired manner, and in the construction shown, the removal of the precipitated particles is effected by means of a plurality of scrapers 25 supported at their ends by endless chains 26 which move the scrapers in an endless path. These scrapers are of sufiicient length to extend across the greater part of the width of the tank and are moved along the bottom of the tank to scoop up material deposited thereon. These scrapers or buckets are approximately in the shape of elongated open rectangular boxes and as shown in Fig. 11, may be formed of a pair of angle-shaped merribers or bars 27 and 28 spaced apart to form Slots or open spaces in their bottoms and connected at their ends in any suitable manner, for example by means of angleshaped end walls or pieces 29; A strip of screening material 30 is secured to the bottom of each scraper or bucket to extend across the space or slot between the bars 27 and 28. Consequently liquid may flow through the screening material 30 and these slots, so that only solid particles are retained in the buckets or scrapers when they pass out of the liquid in the tank.

The chains 26 to which the opposite end portions of the scrapers or buckets are secured are guided by means of a pair of sprocket wheels 33 and 34 arranged ad acent to the ends and near the bottom of the tank, and upper sprockets 35 and 36. The sprocket wheels 34 are mounted on a shaft 39 which extends crosswise of the tank. The shaft 39 is driven to impart movement to the chain 26 through thesprockets 34 and, consequently, this shaft is journalled at one end thereof in a bearing 41 secured to a side wall of the tank and at the other end in a bearing 42 through which the shaft 39 extends, see particularly Fig. 11. This hearing may be provided with any suitable or desired means to prevent liquid from leaking out of the tank, and this shaft39 is provided on the end thereof exterior to the tank with a sprocket 44 which cooperates with a driven sprocket chain 45 which imparts rotation to the shaft 39 and, consequently, causes the sprocket chain 26 within the tank to move in the direction ofthe arrow shown in Fig. 3. The chain 45 is driven by a sprocket mounted on the shaft 20, which in turn is drivenby means of the motor 19 through suitable speed reducing means arranged within a housing 47, Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Any other means for imparting movement to the sprocket chains 26 within the tank may .be provided, and consequently, it will be seen that when the lower pa ztof thischain moves in the direction of with an opening through which the trough extends.

,of the tank. These studs have removable retainers 50 which retain the sprocket wheels on the studs.

Suitable means are provided for continuously emptying the scrapers or buckets 25 and also removing the material picked up by these buckets from the tank.

In the construction shown for this purpose, the chains 26 after passing over the sprocket wheels 36 are caused to travel downwardly and thus invert the scrapers or buckets 25. This downward dip in the chains 26 may be efiected by means of a pair of sprocket wheels 54, see Fig. 3, which are mounted on studs secured to the side walls of the tank in the same manner as those described in connection with the sprocket wheels 35 and 36. It

will thus be seen in Fig. 3 that the contents of the buckets when they pass downwardly over the portion of the chain "between the sprocket wheels 36 and 54 will be inverted sufliciently to dump the contents of the scrapers or buckets into a suitable trough 55, positioned to receive :the material dumped from the scrapers or buckets.

The trough 55 is arranged crosswise of the tank and slopes downwardly from one side thereof to the other.

One end of the trough may be supported on one side wall of the tank in any suitable manner, for example as shown in Figs. 8 to 10, the higher end of the trough may be supported on a pair of blocks 57 secured to the inner surface of the adjacent side wall of the tank. This end of the trough is held in place on the blocks 57 by means of bolts 58, which permit up and down movement of this end of the trough. Preferably, springs 59 are employed which act against the heads of the bolts 58 and bear against a flange 60 forming a part of an angle bar v61, the other flange of which forms the upper end wall of the trough 55. 62 represents a sheet or pad of rubber or other resilient material which may be secured under the flange 60, to reduce noise.

The material deposited on the trough 55 is removed therefrom by suitable vibrating mechanism. In the construction shown for this purpose, I have provided a shaft 64 which isyarranged in a bearing 65 secured to the outer surface of a side wall 14 of the tank, approximately midway between the'two supporting blocks 57. The shaft extends through a hole in the tank side wall and a suitable cam or vibrating member 66 is arranged on the inner end of this shaft. This member 66 may be of any suitable shape, that shown being of approximately hexagonal cross section. The cushion or pad 62 rests on this cam member 66 and as this member is rotated by the shaft 64, it will be obvious that the higher end of the trough will be raised by the cam member 66 and then lowered by gravity and by the springs 59, thus imparting sufficient vibration to the cam member to cause the particles deposited thereon to move lengthwise of the trough to the opposite side of the tank at which the other side wall 14 is provided The material separated by gravity from the liquid is, consequently discharged from the tank and dropped from the outer end of the trough.

The vibrating shaft 64 may be rotated in-any suitable manner. In the construction shown, see Fig. 9, a sprocket 68 is mounted on the outer end of the shaft 64 and cooperates with a chain 69 which is also driven from another sprocket mounted on the shaft 20 driven by the motor 19.

\ The liquid from which the larger particles of material have been removed by settling on the bottom of the tank is then passed through a suitable strainer, screen or filter which is also arranged ,yvithin the tank. This filter in the particular construction illustrated by way of example is in the form of a cylinder or drum, the outer periphery of which is formed by a sheet of screening or filtering material 71 which may be supported in approximately cylindrical form in any suitable manner, for example, by means of a supporting frame of approximately squirrel-cage form having imperforate end walls 72 and 73 provided with flanges 74 extending toward each other, the flanges being connected at intervals by means of cross bars 75. The straining or filtering material 71 which may be of a fine mesh fabric, such for example as Nylon, or of a wire mesh material, is suitably clamped to the flanges 74 of the'end walls. Any suitable clamping means may be used for this purpose, such for example as metal bands 77, the ends of which may be connected by suitable means for drawing the bands tightly about the edge portions of the screening material 71 which overlies the flanges 74. These tensioning or clamping devices may be of any suitable or desired form, such for example, as links 78 each having a cross pin 79 to which one end of a clamping band 77 may be secured and another pin 80 to which the other end of the clamping band is secured. The link 78 is provided with an outwardly extending handle portion 81. When these several parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 7, the band will be tightly stretched around the flange 74 and will be held in that position by the tension of the band. When the handle portion 81 is swung upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 7, the tension of the clamping band 77 will be released so that the screening fabric 71 may be removed from the flanges 74. The bars 75 assist in holding the fabric 71 in approximately cylindrical form.

The filtering drum is rotatably mounted on the side walls 14 of the tank and is provided with means for withdrawing liquid from the interior thereof, the liquid from the tank flowing through the filtering fabric into the interior of the drum before it is discharged from the apparatus.

In the construction shown by way of example, the drum is mounted to rotate about a shaft which may be constructed in two par-ts 83 and 84, which are suitably secured together. The shaft part 83 is of tubular construction and is open at its outer end to discharge filtered liquid from the apparatus. The other shaft part 84, as shown, is of smaller diameter than the shaft 83 and telescopes into and closes the inner end thereof.

The two end walls 72 and 73 of the drum are provided with bosses or hubs 85 and 86 respectively, suitably secured thereto and supported by means of bearings 87 and 88 on the parts 83 and 84 of the shaft, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Thus, it will be evident that the drum may rotate about the composite shaft.

The mounting of the shaft on the tank walls may be effected in any suitable manner. is so mounted that it together with the shaft may be raised out of their operative positions in the tank. This mounting also facilitates the assembly of the drum in the tank. In the construction shown for this purpose, the opposite side walls of the tank are provided with pairs of parallel, upright guide rails 90 and 91, the rails 90 being spaced apart to receive the boss 85 of the drum, and the other rails 91 receive the parts 84 of the shaft. A suitable cross member 92 is shown at the bottom of the upright rails 91 upon which the shaft 84 may rest when in its lowest position, and a similar stop member, not shown, is provided across the lower ends of the guide rails 90. The guide rails 91 are also provided with flanges 93 extending toward each other for cooperation with two flattened parts 94 of the shaft 81. Consequently, the flanges cooperating with these flattened pants hold the shaft against turning but permit the same to be moved upand down between its guide rails. These flanges and flattened parts of the shaft also position the shaft in the Preferably the drum agsanaaa direction ofiits' length and hold the same against axial movement.

The'screening drum isrotated on the shaft when the apparatus is in operation, and this. rotation is preferably accomplished by means of a sprocket chain 95 cooperating with a. sprocket wheel 96. This chain also receives power from another sprocket mounted on the shaft 20 driventhrough the reduction gear by the motor 1?. This sprocket wheel has a hub 98 and this hub is retained in correct rotary relation to the side of the tank by means of a retaining ring 9 suitably held against axial movement relatively to the tank wall and extending into an annular groove or recess in the periphery of the hub of the sprocket wheel 96. For example, this retaining ring may be held in place on the side wall 14 of the tank by means of a sprocket housing or bearing member 100 which is suitably secured by means of screws or otherwise to the side wall 14 of the tank. The sprocket wheel 96, therefore, is rotatably mounted on the side wall of the tank and may be connected with the hub 85 of the tank in any suitable manner, such for example as a plurality of shouldered screws 102 which extend through holes in the hub of the sprocket wheel and have threaded ends suitable for engagement in threaded holes of the hub 85 of the drum, Fig. 4. Consequently, when these shouldered screws 102 are secured to the hub 85 of the drum, then rotation of the sprocket wheel will be transmit-ted to the drum.

The filtered liquid is withdrawn from the interior of the drum through the hollow shaft 83 which, for that purpose, is provided with slots or other openings 105 through which the liquid may enter into the shaft. The hub of the sprocket wheel is also hollow and is connected with a discharge tube 106 suitably connected with a swivel joint 107. Consequently, liquid may be withdrawn from the drum through the hollow shaft part 83, through the hub of the sprocket wheel tube 106 and swivel joint 107. The construction described makes it possible by means of the screws 102 to simultaneously connect the driving means with the straining drum and also connect the discharge tube 106 with the hollow shaft. Since this shaft is ordinarily submerged in the liquid in the tank, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, this liquid may flow out of the drum by gravity.

I have also provided means for removing from the screening material 71, such as particles of undesired material which have not been precipitated in the tank and which may adhere to the exterior surface of the screening material 71 and interfere with the passage of liquid through the same. This is effected by directing currents of fluid against the interior surface of the screening material, preferably against a portion of the drum which is above the body of liquid in the tank. This blast of cleaning fluid directed against the inside of the screen may be air, or if desired, it may be some of the liquid which has been filtered.

In order to supply such cleaning fluid to the interior of the drum, I have in the particular construction shown provided the shaft part 84 with an axially extending hole or bore 110. Connected with this bore is a radially extending tube 111 which terminates at its outer end in a perforate tube 112 which is so arranged that the perforations or discharge nozzles of this tube are in proximity to the inner surface of the screen 71. Consequently, when air or other cleaning liquid under pressure is admitted into the hole or bore 110, it will be projected outwardly through the perforations in the tube 112 against the inner surface of the screen and will thus dislodge particles which have become deposited on the screen.

The transmission of cleaning fluid to the bore or passage 110 in the shaft part 84 may be effected in any desired manner, and in the construction shown for this purpose, I have secured on the outer surface of the adjacent side wall of the tank a boss 115 which has a threaded aperture which cooperates with a hollow stud 116 having a screw threaded. part 117. This; stud is also provided with a tapered? endrfor med to fit: in. a tapered. recess; at the end of the passage or bore 110. in the; shaft part. 84. The stud also has a hollow head 118 which may be turned to seat the; tapered; end; of-the stud 116. in the; tapered recess at the outer terminal of the bore or passage 110 when the strainer drum is in its lowered position to form an approximately air tightconnection with said passage. The head 118 of-thestud may connect with any suitable inlet duct for the cleaning fluid.

When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 4, cleaning air or other gas, or filtered liquid of the type under treatment in the apparatus may be passed to the spray pipe 112 within the screen drum, and at the same time filtered liquid may be removed from the apparatus while the same is rotating. When it is desired to remove the drum from its operative position in the tank, it is merely necessary to unscrew the sprocket gear hub from the hub of the drum and also to back ofi the intake stud 116 so that it will be out of the path of upward movement of the drum along the rails and 91. This mounting of the screening drum has the further advantage that when the drum is raised upwardly out of its operative position, no liquid will escape from the tank. For example, an oil or liquid seal 122 may be provided between the sprocket housing or bearing member and O-rings, or other packing devices may be used wherever necessary to prevent leakage of the liquid out of the tank.

The separating apparatus described has the advantage that it is self-cleaning so far as the removal of chips or larger particles of material by the scrapers or buckets is concerned, and the screening material may be cleaned whenever necessary by admitting a cleaning fluid to the spray pipe 112. The material blown off of the exterior of the screen will, in most cases, settle to the bottom of the tank from where it will be removed by the scoops or scrapers.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangements of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention, as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A separating apparatus including a tank into which liquid from which foreign matter is to be separated is admitted and in which said foreign matter is precipitated from said liquid, a series of elongated buckets movable along the bottom of said tank to collect material precipitated from said liquid, a pair of endless chains to which the opposite ends of said buckets are secured and which move said buckets in a direction transverse to their lengths along the bottom of said tank, means for guiding said buckets to move upwardly along one end of said tank above the liquid level therein, an inclined imper forate discharge trough above the liquid level in said tank and extending laterally of the direction of movement of said buckets and having the lower ,end thereof extending to the exterior of said tank, said guide means directing said buckets in a generally horizontal direction above said trough toward the other end of said tank, and another guide member engaging said chains and urging them downwardly prior to moving in said generally horizontal direction and while passing over said trough to invert said buckets to dump matter collected thereby into said trough.

2. A separating apparatus according to claim 1, in which vibrating means are provided acting on the upper end of said trough for alternately raising and dropping said upper end of said trough for causing the material dropped into said trough by said buckets to move lengthwise of said trough out of said tank.

3. A separating apparatus according to claim 1, in which one end of said trough rests on a cam for imparting vibratory motion to said trough, supporting means mounted on said tank wall on which said end of said 7 trough iests when in 1ts lowerst position, and springs 0pposing the motion of said trough-by said cam and urging said end of said trough into its lowest position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Jackson Apr. 18, 1909 Cole Sept. 22, 1914, Meston Mar. 16, 1920 Nichols' Jan. 19, 1943 Anderson May 20, 1947 Chafiee May 31, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain June 10, 1937 

